Taranto Cruise Port, in the “heel” of Italy, has some tough competition as a favoured Mediterranean port! But since its “launch” as a cruise port a few years ago, the opinion on Taranto Cruise Port has been very divided, probably because there’s not that much to do in Taranto unless you’re interested in ancient history. Nonetheless, if you fancy a walk around Taranto Old Town, I’ll share with you the key attractions and how to get there.
If you’ve got a cruise stop coming up in Taranto and you’re not interested in seeing the Old Town, I’d say your best bet is to take a tour to Matera, Lecce or Ostuni. These are interesting day trip destinations but because the train times out of Taranto make these not the easiest DIY excursions, I won’t cover them here.
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Taranto Cruise Port: Is a DIY Excursion Easy? 😎😎😎😎 Straightforward
Taranto Cruise Port is a 😎😎😎😎 Straightforward port to do a DIY shore excursion is and here’s why:
- Port Shuttle to City Centre or just walk: Taranto’s City Centre is just a short shuttle ride away, or you can walk to the start of Taranto Old Town from the port gates in under 10 minutes
- Greek & Roman culture hotspot: Since Taranto was once a Greek colony and of course, later as part of the Roman Republic, there’s quite a lot of interesting spots to see, just by walking around Taranto Old Town. (But if you’re not interested in ancient history, then you’ll likely not like Taranto at all!)
- Bus network: Taranto Cruise Port is close to a local bus station, with lots of bus rides to various parts of the city.
Taranto Cruise Port Essentials: All You Need to Know
Taranto Cruise Port Address: Taranto Cruise Port, Terminal Crociere di Molo San Cataldo ovest, porto, 74123 Taranto (TA), Puglia – see this marked on my Taranto Cruise Port Map below 🗺️📍👇
- Currency: Euros
- Language: Italian
- Official Websites: Taranto Capitale di Mare is the official tourism website
- Recommended Transport App: Use Google Maps for general walking directions
- eSim for roaming in Italy: For a great data connection without the huge roaming fees, use an eSim data pack from Airalo. I always recommend having a smartphone with a valid plan when you’re at port touring independently. Get US$3 off your first eSIM data pack from Airalo when you use ROXANN1666 when you sign up or apply it at checkout
Taranto Cruise Port Map
- On Desktop | Laptop? Use buttons on bottom left to zoom in/out. Click on the upper right hand corner to see a bigger version.
- On Tablet | Mobile? Pinch your screen to zoom in/out and use two fingers to move map around. If you have Google Maps installed on your tablet/mobile, my map will open in your Google Maps app if you click on the upper right hand corner.
- If map is not loading correctly, click here to see it directly on Google Maps
Taranto Cruise Port To City Centre: Your Transport Options
1. Walk to Taranto Old Town
Taranto Cruise Port, from the port gates, is less than a 10-minute walk from Piazza Fontana. There’s no walking along the cruise pier, so the port shuttle will bring you to at least to the port gates – marked on my Taranto Cruise Port map above 🗺️📍👇
Piazza Fontana is across the bridge, at the “start” of Taranto’s Old Town or “Città Vecchia”. Taranto itself is essentially split into two main parts: the Old Town, on a small island connected by a bridge to Taranto Cruise Port and Taranto train station. The Old Town, with the Aragonese Castle on the southern edge (see bottom left in photo below 🖼️👇) is connected to the newer, more modern part on the mainland via another bridge, called the “Swing Bridge“.
From Piazza Fontana, the walk to the National Archaeological Museum is about 20 minutes, and the walk to Aragonese Castle is about 15 minutes.
2. Port Shuttle Bus to Piazza Castello
Taranto Cruise Port runs a port shuttle bus from where you disembark from your ship, because there’s no walking on the cruise pier. There used to be a free port shuttle bus (run by the port, not by the cruise line) to Piazza Castello, opposite the Aragonese Castle but I hear conflicting online reports about whether it’s become a paid shuttle recently. So do read your cruise’s daily newsletter to find out whether you’ll be charged.
3. Public Bus at Port Mercantile
My DIY motto is “always have a back-up plan” (ie. to find my way back to port! 😂) So in case there’s no port shuttle bus to Piazza Castello, then just outside the port gates, is the public bus station called “Porto Mercantile” – see the stop marked on my Taranto Cruise Port map above. The local bus authority is called “Kyma Mobilita” There’s quite a few bus routes which will take you to both Piazza Castello and the newer part of town, on the other side of Old Town. Here’s the details:
- Bus Routes: The most useful bus Routes is #1/2 (number one slash two, not a typo!). It runs frequently, every 10-15 minutes or so and stops right outside Piazza Castello and Aragonese Castle, with another stop further south at the start of the Lungomare.
- Tickets: One-way tickets are €1.30, or a day ticket is €2.60. The easiest way to buy a ticket is online at myCicero – it’s easier than having to buy a tobacco stand to buy tickets.
Same goes for your return trip. If you’ve wondered too far south to head back to Piazza Castello, then you can easily catch a bus back to Porto Mercantile and be outside the port gates.
Taranto Cruise Port: Top Things to Do Nearby
To appreciate what’s on display as you walk around Taranto’s Old Town, a little bit of historical context may be helpful! Taranto was founded by the Spartans in the 8th century BC as Taras, it quickly became one of the wealthiest and most powerful cities in Magna Graecia – the Greek colonies in what is now Southern Italy. Taranto’s strategic location on the Ionian Sea fostered a thriving maritime trade network with other Mediterranean civilisations. That’s why you’ll still see remnants like the Doric Temple near Piazza Castello, dedicated by the Greeks to Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea.
Rome’s expansion southward resulted in the Pyrrhic War (280-275 BC) and Taranto feel under the control of the Roman Republic in 272 BC. During the Middle Ages, Taranto was invaded by the Byzantines and the Normans. Taranto became part of the Kingdom of Naples, which eventually together with Sicily, became unified to become Italy, as we know it today. (If you’re interested in ancient history and want to dive deeper into Greek and medieval aspects of Taranto, I would recommend reading MARTA’s website as it highlights more historical sites that you may be interested in. For example, the Spartan Hypogeum Museum of Taranto (Museo Ipogeo Spartano di Taranto) focuses on the Spartan heritage of the city but unfortunately it only opens on Sundays.)
1. Aragonese Castle
The Aragonese Castle (Castello Aragonese) is a magnificent medieval fortress on the edge of Taranto’s Old Town (Citta Vechia). The castle’s origins date back to the 5th century BC but the version that we can still see today is built in the late 15th century and is a mixture of Byzantine and Renaissance styles.
Inside Castello Aragonese is the Cappella di San Leonardo (Chapel of Saint Leonard), most likely dated back to the Norman period around 11th century. 14th century frescoes are still visible.
Note that Aragonese Castle is technically owned by the Navy and the visit is only through guided tours conducted by Navy personnel. Guided Tours are free. Tours start on the hour from 9am onwards till late (Italian only, use Google Translate). If you’re interested to see inside the castle, then I would make this the first item on your DIY itinerary. If you can’t get on the first tour, then at least you can put your name down for a later tour and then walk around the rest of Old Town and come back. Bring ID!
Don’t miss the Doric Temple (“Colonne Doriche”) just outside Aragonese Castle, at Piazza Castello👇. It dates back to 6th century BC and what’s left is part of a larger temple dedicated to Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea.
2. National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MARTA)
Across the bridge, Ponte San Francesco di Paola (aka the Swing Bridge), a few minutes walk away from Aragonese Castle, is the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MARTA). The museum houses one of the largest and most important collection of artefacts from Magna Graecia (the ancient Greek colonies in Southern Italy).
Magna Graecia flourished between the 8th and 5th centuries BC and cast a long period of cultural & artistic legacy in Southern Italy till long after the Roman conquest in 3rd century BC. The most notable highlights of the collection include:
- Gold of Taranto: An exquisite collection of ancient gold jewellery and ornaments
- Tomb of the Athlete: A well-preserved tomb containing the remains of a young athlete and various grave goods
- Zeus of Ugento: A bronze statue of the Greek God Zeus, discovered in Ugento near Lecce.
- Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 7:30pm, Sunday 9am to 1pm, 3:30pm to 7:30pm
- Tickets: €9 Adults, €3 for youth aged 18-25, free for kids under 18. Free to everyone first Sunday of every month.
- Want a sneak preview? Google Arts and Culture has a good selection of its collection digitised.
3. Lungomare
If you’d like to stretch your sea legs before returning to Old Town, turn and walk towards the ocean after your visit to MARTA. The Lungomare in Taranto is a lovely seaside promenade to walk through, with some stunning sea views, with benches along the way to sit and soak in the scenery.
4. Via Duomo
After your walk around the Lungomare, cross the Swing Bridge again and back to Plazza Castello. Walk down Via Duomo. Via Duomo traces its roots back to the Ancient Greek city of Taras. Archaeological excavations have revealed that a main road axis existed in this area even during the Greek period, cutting through the heart of the then ancient city’s acropolis.
During the medieval and Renaissance periods, Via Duomo continued to be a vital artery. It was considered a prestigious address where the noble families of Taranto built their grand palaces. Via Duomo is lined with beautiful buildings from various architectural styles, from medieval to baroque, so it’s a bit like a visual journey through Taranto’s journey. As its name suggests, Via Duomo leads directly to the Taranto Cathedral. If you’re looking to do some souvenir shopping or take a coffee break, this is the street to walk through!
On the way back to port, another good ancient road to walk through is Via Cava.
5. Taranto Cathedral
The Taranto Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Cataldo) is dedicated to Saint Catald, an Irish monk who became the bishop of Taranto in the 7th century. Much of the cathedral dates back to the 11th century including the crypt but the facade is from the 18th century, hence the Baroque style with intricate carvings and statues.
- Opening Hours: 7:30am to 12 noon, then 4:30pm to 8pm. The cathedral is free to enter.
Taranto Cruise Port to Beach
If you’re craving for some beach time, then the closest beach is Lido Taras, at the end of the Lungomare – see this marked on my Taranto Cruise Port map above. But manage your expectations, it’s likely not the best beach in your Mediterranean cruise itinerary!
How to Get There: For Lido Taras, walk along the Lungomare. From Piazza Castello, it’s about a 15 minute walk.
I’m aware that some cruise lines often beach club excursions but those excursions are typically heading to Campomarino, about an hour’s drive away. There’s no easy DIY way to get there (other than to rent a car for the day), so I’d recommend joining a tour if you’d like to head to Campomarino for the day.
Featured Image courtesy of Italia.it – Italy’s official tourism agency
I hope this blog post has given you some ideas on how to spend your port day in Taranto. Please drop me a comment below if you have any questions!
